We Are The Baddies

For those of you unfamiliar with the source of that headline, I refer you to a hilarious sketch from “That Mitchell and Webb Look“.

For those of you unfamiliar with why I posted this, I refer you to several news articles published today and yesterday noting that Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) automatically separates children from their parents who cross the border illegally, and has “lost” 1475 of them.

To further infuriate everyone and his/her mother, the imbecile in charge of social media at ICE posted an ad for people to develop/use new technology to help prevent children from going missing. That isn’t even tone-deaf- that’s deliberately poking a bear with a stick.

To keep things simple, I’ll repeat the above information in bullet-point format:

• The US government (ICE) routinely separates children from their parents when those parents are suspected of crossing the border illegally
• These children are required by law and multiple court orders to be provided with health care, decent housing, and access to schools
• The US government has seized a bit over SIX THOUSAND children in this manner
• When another branch of the US government tried to locate these children, 1,475 could not be found

One Arizona newspaper reported some of these missing children had been delivered to “sponsors” who were known for human sex trafficking.

Here’s the thing- when a government entity takes control of something, such as by seizing that thing from the original possessor, the government is from that point on responsible for the seized thing. From cars to firearms to personal property, once the government takes control of it, the government is responsible for what it has taken. In this case, the US government (in the form of ICE) has seized more than 6,000 children from their parents and is failing in its responsibility to to provide minimal care for those children, to the point where the government cannot account for almost 1,500 children.

The government is us. We all agreed to follow a set of rules wherein we (the People) would elect representatives to work for us to build and maintain a stable society. Over the past 200+ years, we’ve built up a set of rules and laws, and developed government organizations and agencies to support and enforce those laws and rules. And now, one of those organizations we established is responsible for LOSING 1,500 CHILDREN.

This is OUR FAULT. Yes, you, me, and everyone else in this country. WE allowed this to happen. This government agency acting in our names and on our behalf has managed to lose 1,475 children. Why are you not outraged? One out of every four children ICE has taken from their parents has … disappeared.

THIS. IS. NOT. ACCEPTABLE.

What are you going to do about the criminal activity being done in YOUR name? Have you contacted your elected representatives? Why not?

If YOU do not actively and loudly denounce this villainous stupidity conducted by YOUR government, then you are complicit in the activity. The children aren’t old enough to have committed a crime, but a crime has been done to them by YOUR government.

Do something about it. Write and/or call your congresscritter. Register to vote (if you haven’t already) and actually show up to fucking VOTE in every fucking election- including for county dog-catcher. If YOU don’t stand up to protest the criminal activity undertaken in your name, it’s your fault.

Silence gives assent. Don’t be silent. Be LOUD.

 

Current status: Homicidally infuriated

Current music: Free Will by Rush